Spring bed fabric.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT B. HARRISON AND JOSEPH WILTING, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIAASSIGNORS TO A. J. LOGAN COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A

CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA.

SPRING BED FABRIC.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 23, 1912.

Application filed July 3, 1911. Serial No. 636,682.

2! '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT B. HARRISON and JOSEPH WELTING, bothresidents of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Spring BedFabric, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wire bed bottoms, and more particularly to thekind which is composed of a series of links or similar members hookedtogether, and attached at both ends to the cross bars of the frame bymeans of spiral springs.

The purpose of the invention is to provide a construction of fabric ofthe character specified in which the stresses of the concentrated loadon the fabric are distributed among a larger number of helical springsat the ends of the fabric than with similar fabrics as heretoforeconstructed.

The invention comprises the construction and arrangement of partshereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a broken-out plan view of a bedbottom containing the improvements, Fig. 2 is a view of a portion of thesame on an enlarged scale to more clearly show the construction, Fig. 3is a detail view of one of the links as it appears in position whenlooking down upon a bed bottom constructed with my invention, and Fig. 4is a detail view of the link shown in Fig. 3 looking at the same in thedirection of the arrow in that view.

The bed bottom is provided with a suitable frame comprising thelongitudinal side bars or rails 5 and the end or cross bars 6, suitablyunited at the corners in any desired way, not illustrated.

The fabric itself comprises a series of links 7 of modified V- shape,having the limbs of different lengths, the shorter limb 8 lying parallelto the longitudinal aXis of the fabric or the side edges thereof, whilethe longer limb 9 extends in a diagonal direction. The ends of the twolimbs lie in the same transverse line in the fabric, and are providedwith hooks or other suitable means 10 for connecting into the apexes ofcorresponding links in the adjoining transverse row of links. The apexof each link is bent on a curve with the portion 11 projecting outsideor beyond the straight line of the short limb 8, so as to form a wide orsomewhat bulbous eye 12 to receive the hooks of two links in theadjacent transverse row, one being the end of a short limb of one linkwhile the other is the end of the long limb of another link. The offsetangle also has the advantage of bringing the short limbs of adjacenttransverse rows of links substantially in a straight longitudinal line,and the long limbs of adjacent transverse rows of links in substantiallya straight diagonal line. Consequently a concentrated load at any pointon the fabric is distributed both in straight lines and also in diagonallines to the ends of fabric, thereby distributing the strain between anumber of end supporting helical springs 13 which have one end attachedto the cross rail 6 and the other end attached to the hooked end of ashort limb of one end link and the hooked end of the long limb ofanother end link, as shown. With the old form of fabric of this samegeneral type the stresses were transmitted merely in a straight line, sothat with a concentrated load a very heavy stress was put on a few ofthe end helicals 13. \Vith my improvement the strains are distributedboth in a straight line and also diagonally, and also distributed over alarger number of end supporting helicals. It will be further observedthat all of the links on the same side of the center line of the fabricare of identically the same shape, making it unnecessary to havespecially shaped links at the edges as has heretofore been the case, orto provide a few one-limb links as has frequently been resorted to. Inorder that the hooks 10 throughout the fabric may be on the same sidethereof and not tear or injure the mattress or bedding placed upon thefabric, the links on opposite sides of the center line of the fabric maybe made rights and lofts or, in other words, inversions of each other,although obviously if desired they may all be made identical with thehooks opening on both sides of the fabric. The modified V-fo-rm of thelinks provides straight side edges for the fabric, and both edges areexactly alike, due to the fact that at the center of the fabric there isan overlapping row of adjacent links placed reversely to each other, asshown at 14, thereby making the outer limbs of all of the links parallelto the longitudinal axis of the fabric and giving and affording thestraight side edges above referred to. This also gives a line of greaterstrength at the central portion of the fabric.

The links are of very simple form, cheap to manufacture, are readilyassembled and. connected to form the fabric, and when joined togetherform a perfectly smooth upper surface for the mattress to rest upon,well as forming straight outer edges.

What we claim is:

1. A. fabric for wire bed bottoms com.- posed of a series ofsubstantially V-shaped links, each having one limb longer than theother, said limbsbeing provided at their ends with means for attachmentto the apex of a link arranged in a different transverse row in thefabric, the apex of each link being adapted to have connected theretothe ends of av longer limb of one adjacent link and the short limb ofanother adjacent link, whereby the long limbs form parallel linessubstantially diagonally of the fabric, the center lines of the fabricbeing formed of overlapping rows of links having their long limbsreversely inclined, whereby added strength is obtained along the centerline of the fabric.

2. A fabric for wire bed bottoms composed of a series of links, eachhaving a pair of limbs, one limb being longer than the other, said limbsbeing inclined to each other and, together, being substantially ofV-shape, and each being provided at its free end with means forattachment to another link, the apex of each link having connectedthereto the ends of the long limb of one adjacent link and the shortlimb of another adjacent link, the short limbs forming continuousparallel lines substantially longitudinally of the fabric and the longlimbs forming continuous parallel lines substantially diagonally of thefabric, and the short limbs of an edge row of links formii'ig a straightselvage of the fabric.

3. A fabric for wire bed bottoms composed wholly of substantiallyV-shaped links having connected long and short limbs disposed at anacute angle with reference to each other, said links being connected. inrows longitudinally and. transversely of the fabric, all the links ineach transverse row having the free ends of their short and long limbsin the same transverse line and connected to the apeXes of the links ofthe next transverse row, said links being arranged to transmit strainsboth longitudinally and diagonally of said fabric.

t. A fabric for wire bed bottoms com posed of a plurality ofsubstantially V shaped links, each having a long and a short limb, thelinks being interconnected with the short limbs arranged limb to limblongitudinally t-l'iroughout the length of the fabric and the long limbsarranged limb to limb diagonally thereof, the links on opposite sides ofthe longitudinal center line of the fabric being arranged with theirlong limbs extending diagonally in opposite directions, whereby strainsreceived by the fabric are transmitted both longitudinally anddiagonally thereof.

5. A fabric for wire bed bottoms composed of a series of links havinglimbs disposed at an angle to each other, said links beinginterconnected with one set of limbs extending continuouslylongitudinally of the fabric and another set of limbs diagonallythereof, the center line of the fabric being formed of overlapping rowsof links having longitudinal limbs and reversely inclined diagonallimbs, whereby added strength is obtained along the center line of thefabric.

6. A fabric for wire bed bottoms formed wholly of a series ofsubstantially V-shaped links having connected limbs disposed at an angleto each other, said links being connected in rows longitudinally andtrans versely of the fabric and arranged limb to limb continuously bothlongitudinally and diagonally of the fabric, the series of diagonallimbs on opposite sides of the center line of the fabric extending inopposite directions.

ln testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

ROBERT B. HARRISON. JOSEPH WVILTING.

\Vitnesses F. W. Nirrrnn, MARY E. GAHOON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C.

